The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2015, and October 31, 2016 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2016 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on November 3, 2016, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Anyone with a food allergy, or who has a family member with one, knows the pain of coping with the daily threat of mild to severe reactions, including potentially fatal anaphylaxis. Modern Western medicine dictates a strict regimen of food avoidance coupled with immune suppression, or daily tolerance trials that leave patients and their families balanced precariously between hope and fear. In this thoroughly researched volume, Ehrlich (co-author of Asthma Allergies Children, 2010) approachably analyzes a new method: a lovely and perhaps inevitable coupling of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)and Western science. Although alternative medical approaches such as TCM often find little mainstream respect in the United States, people have been practicing them successfully in other countries for centuries. Ehrlich begins with a detailed background of food allergies and their biological processes, and looks at how changes in population levels can affect their occurrence. He follows this up with an overview of the scientific research in the field, and how different treatment regimens work. This sophisticated scientific treatise may prove daunting for many lay readers, but for anyone who lives with food allergies, it will no doubt be accessible. The book’s main thrust is the creation of a food-allergy herbal formula in the TCM tradition, a product that appears to provide lasting curative effects without compromising the immune system. Ehrlich’s strength, however, is his cogent analysis of the synthesis of alternative and mainstream methods and treatments, and his focus on the balance between quality patient care and robust scientific principles. Anyone seeking to better understand food allergies will benefit from the depth of Ehrlich’s examination.

A look at traditional Chinese medicine’s ability to protect against food allergies that could generate considerable buzz in the medical community.

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